As You Walk Forward, or Words from The Lion of Judah
by Golden Panther
Summary: Inspired by various Bible verses, each chapter explores a period of human life ranging from hardship to extreme happiness starring Reepicheep and Trufflehunter. For Francios, may he rest in peace.


**AS YOU WALK FORWARD,** **OR WORDS FROM THE LION OF JUDAH**

For Francios, may he rest in peace.

* * *

 **-I-**

 **MORNING**

" **As you walk forward** , you realize two very important truths- the friends that walk with you fade, and you become more burdened as the storms become heavy and impassable. Depression sets in perhaps. You believe yourself not good enough even. I tell you brave mariner, never be so dismayed; for, a greater force rests on your shoulders and within your heart to fill your lungs with courage and the ability to continue…"

He had heard this sermon many times from his friend, but Mathias J. Trufflehunter had yet to believe it yet. He was still struggling with the depression part, and as Reepicheep Hartwin-Daren sat in the badger's living room having a biscuit and fish which he was not even interested in consuming all the way. The Mouse was more troubled by his friend's sullen nature, his friend's decrepit state. His fur was matted into knots and curls that were destroying the flesh underneath, the eyes, those loving and caring eyes that Reepicheep saw as a bastion for his darkest days, faded into obscurity and into its own void. Trufflehunter, who just had a gaze of death, sat in a chair opposite his friend, slowly eating a stale piece of bread, being too humble for some reason to have a fresh biscuit.

The Mouse stood and crossing the cold dirt floor of the burrow, he carried in his paws a biscuit and replaced the stale bread with this, doing so with a faint smile.

"Truff, I suggest you eat. It's not good to mope."

The Badger huffed and grumbled, staying silent in his speech otherwise as he nibbled on what was given, just looking towards his door- yearning to discover something, or _re_ -discover something, that he had always seem to know. Reepicheep finally looked over to the door for the first time since entering the home roughly an hour before. Twitching his whiskers out of curiosity, the Mouse scurried over to the wooden frame of Marley Truff, opening it gently, remembering that the house faced east and that the sun rose from that direction and it was here that Reepicheep's face was greeted with warm spectacle.

Yellows, golds, and whites flooded the forest that lay outside bringing out the greens and olives of leaves and the browns of the bark. The Sun said hello and the Earth resounded with a shout of joy to know that it was loved by such a warm thing in the sky. As flowers opened to smile back, Reepicheep laughed out of sheer excitement for the day, glad that the fog from the early twilight was gone. Turning, back, Reepicheep stood more out of the way to let the morning come into the burrow and just as the light entered, The Badger looked up slowly, his eyes were still barren of life. Sighing, rather tired of the melancholy and not resorting to words of any kind, Reepicheep scurried over and heaved his friend up.

"Come on Truff, time to see the morning."

A light grumble this time. _Good, progress…_ Reepicheep thought as he led his friend by the arms toward the door. Creeping towards the light, the Badger tugged himself out of Reepicheep's grip and out of retaliation, slapped him across the face, sending the Mouse to the ground.

 _Alright… perhaps not._ Reepicheep stood up as Trufflehunter made his way back to his sulk and to his chair.

"Mathias…" Reepicheep said, turning back towards his friend, his back being warmed up by the sunlight. "Look at me."

Trufflehunter's right ear twitched and the rather miserable looking animal did look up with a desperation in his eyes. The kind of desperation a sickly man gives a doctor with a lethal dose, or a confused Badger gives to a Large Mouse on a beautiful morning that neither were enjoying very much.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." Reepicheep said as he looked. He noticed his decrepit state, his matted fur and destroyed flesh underneath, his dead eyes. In truth, the Mouse knew exactly what was wrong, he just wanted his friend to acknowledge the problem for himself.

 _Perhaps…_ Reepicheep began to think instead of look a moment later, and realized that he did not do one thing that he always did whenever he visited this Badger. He didn't hug him yet. As he walked over, Reepicheep no longer saw a decrepit soul in a dark pit of despair, he saw his friend in need of help. So he did what he thought and embraced Mathias with all the strength and love he could provide, which was enough to warrant an embrace back from the Badger who melted into a sigh and a gentle cry.

"It's alright, Truff…" The Mouse said, a smile gracing his face. "I'm right here."

"I see you, Reep and I see you well."

As The Badger saw the Mouse, the light engulfed the living room. Peace destroyed the Darkness of the Night, Love trumped Despair, and the two Bastions of Hope, one for the other, each had a biscuit and then moved toward the open door that was the Day.

* * *

 **God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.**

 **-PSALM 46:1**


End file.
